Delayed bond payment did not appear to affect Lawrence’s bond rating

Commissioner Stuart Boley said recently that in October of 2014, the city missed making a bond payment that was due on city debt. The missed payment is the type of event that could cause the city to suffer a reduction in its bond rating, which would cause the city to pay higher interest rates on its millions of dollars in debt…

Finance Director Jeremy Willmoth, who was not with the city at the time of the incident, said he did find records that confirmed the missed bond payment. According to records, the city had a $46,951.11 interest payment due on Oct. 1, 2014, for a set of general obligation temporary notes — a type of short-term bond — that had been issued earlier that year.

However, the city did not make that payment on Oct. 1. The city did not make the payment until Dec. 15, 2014, after the city received a delinquency notice. …

Willmoth said he did not find any records indicating that the city had to pay a penalty for the late payment. He also didn’t find any records indicating that the city’s bond rating suffered as a result of the late payment. The 2014 temporary notes received the highest rating that Moody’s bond rating service provides for those kinds of bonds. A 2015 issuance of temporary notes by the city received the same rating. Boley, however, said the incident didn’t go completely unnoticed by the bond rating agencies. He said for the past five years, the city has had to disclose the missed payment among the reams of paperwork that are provided to potential bond buyers.

Church Sues Lenexa For Denying Its Request To Operate A Homeless Shelter

A Lenexa church is suing the city for denying its request to use its building as a temporary homeless shelter.

Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church says the denial infringes on its exercise of religion, violating the Constitution, state law and federal law.

The church, at 9400 Pflumm Road, occupies a former elementary school building adjoining commercial and office properties, although the building is zoned residential single family.

The church recently partnered with Project 1020, a nonprofit that provides temporary housing to homeless people, to provide overnight shelter for up to 40 homeless individuals per night from December through March.

(Read more: Rural Messenger)

Ranson Financial2019-11-26T21:51:28-06:00November 26, 2019|News|

For some rural US TV viewers, local news is anything but

When Dianne Johnson channel-surfs for news in her rural western Nebraska home, all she sees are stories about Colorado crime and car crashes from a Denver television station more than 200 miles away.

It’s frustrating for the 61-year-old rancher, who wants to know the latest developments in Nebraska politics and sports. When floods devastated huge swaths of Nebraska this year, Johnson struggled to keep tabs on what was happening.

“If we actually had local news, we would watch it,” she said. “But all we get is Colorado drug busts and stories about who got murdered in Denver. It has nothing to do with us.”

Johnson is among an estimated 870,000 households nationwide that receive at least one distant network affiliate’s feed from their satellite TV service providers because they don’t live close enough to get conventional over-the-air signals.

(Read more: KSN-TV)

Ranson Financial2019-11-25T22:07:52-06:00November 25, 2019|News|

12 years after Greensburg, rebuilding as been a mixed success

A dozen years after a tornado nearly wiped out Greensburg, city leaders acknowledge that the decision to rebuild as quote “the greenest community in America” has been a mixed success.

The E5 tornado that touched down May 4 2007, killed 11 people and destroyed most of Greensburg.

The Kansas news service is reporting that the decision to rebuild in an environmentally friendly way was to set itself apart from other rural towns.

City administrator, Stacy Barnes acknowledges some expectations at the time were unrealistic but says the town continues to work on projects, and she remains optimistic about the town’s future.

(Read more: KSN-TV)

Ranson Financial2019-11-25T22:06:55-06:00November 25, 2019|News|

Badges and Burgers

The Pittsburg Fire and Police Departments Fire Up the grill to help kids in the neighborhood. It was the annual badges and burgers event. This year, the proceeds go to the Children’s Advocacy Center. The center provides child safety specialists who serve children in Pittsburg.

Ranson Financial2019-11-25T22:06:40-06:00November 25, 2019|News|

Lenexa exempting itself from state law requirement for official city newspapers

The city of Lenexa no longer has The Olathe News as an official city newspaper for publishing legal notices. City leaders have agreed to exempt Lenexa from K.S.A 64-101, the state law regarding official city newspapers. And The Johnson County Legal Record is now the only official publication for Lenexa’s public notices.

In 1997, the city had passed a charter ordinance exempting itself from the state law so it could designate multiple newspapers by resolution. At that time, The Johnson County Legal Record and The Olathe Daily News (renamed The Olathe News in 2009) became Lenexa’s official newspapers.

Since then, The Kansas City Star has acquired The Olathe News, and now the publication no longer meets state law requirements because the Star is published out of state. To be considered an official city newspaper of Lenexa, a publication must be circulated on a regular basis and must be published in Johnson County, or at least in the state of Kansas.

Ranson Financial2019-11-25T18:42:37-06:00November 25, 2019|News|

County takes step toward creating Family Park master plan

A comprehensive master plan for southwest Topeka’s Family Park, featuring trails and pickleball courts, should be complete in three to five months, Shawnee County parks and recreation director Tim Laurent said Monday.

He spoke after County Commissioners Bill Riphahn, Kevin Cook and Aaron Mays voted 3-0 Monday morning to solicit proposals from qualified companies interested in contracting with the county to develop that plan at a cost not to exceed $71,000, while accepting input both from the public and from Laurent’s department.

The master plan is to cover matters that include design, layout and future maintenance of the park, which will be located just south of Midwest Health Aquatic Center, 2201 S.W. Urish Road, according to a document in the agenda packet for Monday’s meeting.

Ranson Financial2019-11-25T18:36:27-06:00November 25, 2019|News|

Wichita will receive $14.2 million grant to replace transit center

The City of Wichita will receive $14.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to build a replacement transit center to meet current and future regional transportation needs. The building will connect 17 bus routes, four circulator trolleys, commuter transit and boost economic development in the West Bank area of the Arkansas River.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao today announced that the Federal Transit Administration will award $423 million in transit infrastructure grants nationwide to improve the safety and reliability of America’s bus systems and enhance mobility for transit riders. A list of the selected projects is available online.

“Public bus systems throughout the country provide millions of Americans access to jobs, healthcare, grocery stores, and other vital services,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

(Read more: KSN-TV)

Ranson Financial2019-11-25T18:33:52-06:00November 25, 2019|News|

Barton County extends rent-free agreements for two agencies

As a means of community support, the Cottonwood Extension Council and the State of Kansas Parole Office are housed in the county office building at 1208 Kansas in Great Bend. Each agency gets to stay there rent free but reimburses Barton County for a portion of the building’s utility costs.

“They pay their utilities and phone system costs,” said Barton County Administrator Phil Hathcock.

For years, the county has extended office space to these two agencies rent free because they are taxing agencies. If Barton County started charging rent, then the agencies would have to raise their taxes to pay the county.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

Ranson Financial2019-11-25T18:31:47-06:00November 25, 2019|News|

Commission approves 2020 funding for senior centers

Butler County commissioners unanimously approved contracts for senior centers within the county at their Nov. 19 meeting. Senior centers within Butler County will receive a slight increase in funding budgeted by the commission for fiscal year 2020.

“We try to budget in a slight increase annually based on what we can afford within the budget,” William Johnson Jr., Butler County administrator, said.

Funding for FY2020 is as follows, according to the meeting agenda found on www.bucoks.com: Senior clubs level II — Benton $2,300, Whitewater $4,000; Senior centers level I — Cassoday $9,200, Towanda $11,200; Senior centers level II — Douglass $31,800; Multi-purpose senior centers level I — Andover $36,500, Leon $35,500, Rose Hill $34,100; Multi-purpose senior centers level II — Augusta $46,130, El Dorado $48,680; Grand total — $259,410.

(Read more: andoveramerican.com)

Ranson Financial2019-11-25T18:29:37-06:00November 25, 2019|News|